England 12 – Wales 6: Jonny May proves difference in BRUTAL Six Nations clash

May had two men to thank – Joe Launchbury and Owen Farrell – for the assists for his tries but at least one still required the finish to give England an early lead in an increasingly wet and windy west London.

Rhys Patchell had been warned by Eddie Jones to expect a barrage and he was given as much, and when replaced by Gareth Anscombe at No 10 the difference was palpable.

However, it was too little too late for Warren Gatland’s side, whose lack of precision with ball in hand proved the difference.

England started about as badly as they could ever have dreamed, Anthony Watson dropping the ball in the first contact of the match before Dylan Hartley was forced off for an HIA after just 42 seconds.

But Watson atoned for his error less than 100 seconds later, winning a high ball at midfield that gave Owen Farrell the chance to exploit a gaping hole in behind the Welsh defence and put a kick in for May to convert with sheer speed.

England’s plan to target Patchell was far from subtle. Every time the 24-year-old touched the ball he was faced by onrushing white shirts desperate to land a shot on him.

It didn’t immediately seem to faze the Scarlets stand-off, although he spent much of the first 20 minutes on the defensive.

He did have the chance to get Wales on the board, a penalty from 40 metres that, a cruel spectator might have commented, “Halfpenny surely would have slotted”.

But in the wind and the rain he could not and England were soon two scores ahead, the brilliance of Joe Launchbury on show once again as he reached around a tackler to offload in the corner and find a grateful May for his second.

Wales thought they had pulled one back almost immediately when Gareth Anscombe seized on a ball that had bounced off Steff Evans’ knee and seemed to beat Watson to the grounding.

But TMO Glenn Newman could not be sure and instead Patchell took the penalty in front of the posts.

As the weather worsened, kicking for territory became the name of the game – and scrapping. Jerome Garces could find no specific offender when a clash between Farrell and Gareth Davies escalated into a 30-man brawl but Wales frustration at the disallowed try and England’s suffocating defence was clear.

Wales appeared uninspiring again after the break, until Aaron Shingler burst through the line on his own 10-metre line and got as far as the 22 before electing to grubber. Even that then resulted in an England penalty.

Wales only found a foothold in the game when Patchell was replaced: 56 minutes into the biggest match of his career, Wales’ finest George North was called for and Gatland shuffled the pack.

Anscombe moved to No 10 and Adams to full-back, with the playmaker immediately making a difference and twice opening up England’s backline.

But Wales’ final touch was lacking once again, as Scott Williams went to ground seven metres out, hoping to slide under the cross-rushing defenders, but he could not get under the brilliant covering tackle of Sam Underhill, who saved a certain try with 19 minutes remaining.

The replacement phase of the game saw Wales bring on North and Justin Tipuric, and yet it was England who appeared to show their strength in depth.

The likes of Launchbury, after 17 tackles, 13 carries and a try assist, were withdrawn to allow Ben Te’o and George Kruis to show their strength.

The game was perhaps was summed up with eight minutes to go when Mike Brown caught a high ball and found a pass seconds before North bundled him into touch and Anscombe, asked to do the same a minute later, was enveloped by the English defenders. In the toughest conditions, the coaches ask for execution: where Wales failed, England excelled. Winning ugly, is still, after all, a win.